Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The Brooklyn Botanic Japanese Hill and Pond Garden


I visited the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, located at 1000 Washington Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, on Sunday, and took many photographs of the outstanding 52 acre grounds, which I'll be happy to share with you over a few future blog posts.  One of the prettiest areas is the Japanese Hill and Pond Garden, which is one of the oldest and most visited Japanese-inspired gardens outside Japan.


The Garden's Japanese flowering cherry collection contains over 200 trees of more than 30 species that bloom in succession during April. Brooklyn Botanic Garden is considered one of the best sites outside of Japan for viewing cherry blossoms.


The Torii, or gateway, indicates there is a Shinto shrine in the area dedicated to the god of the harvest, protector of plants.


The Japanese words on top read "Great Illuminating Deity"


Various landscape features are gradually revealed along winding paths in the garden.


Among the major architectural elements of the garden are wooden bridges and stone lanterns.




There are many turtles and colorful koi fish swimming in the pond.


The garden features artificial hills contoured around a pond, a waterfall, and an island with carefully placed rocks.

The cherry trees along the walkways were in full bloom and blossom petals were floating in the pond.


A small waterfall creates a pleasant and peaceful sound of running water.


The Japanese Hill and Pond Garden was the first Japanese garden to be created in an American public garden. It was designed by the Japanese landscape designer Takeo Shiota, and constructed between 1914 and 1915.


Turtles resting on the rocks.


Green Onion Bamboo growing along one section of the pond.


Japanese flowering cherries, which mark the beginning of spring and the season of Hanami, or flower viewing, and grace the shoreline of the pond.  The beautiful but fleeting blooms of these trees allude to the transitory nature of life. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden hosts a "Sakura Matsuri," on May 1 and 2, which will be a phenomenal weekend celebrating Japanese culture with over 60 events and performances. There will be both contemporary and traditional Japanese music and dance, taiko drumming, ikebana flower arranging, Japanese DJs, presentations on the art of manga, tea ceremonies, and workshops for all ages.

If you'd like to see more wonderful photos of the many beautiful cherry trees in bloom, as well as some of the other areas of the beautiful Brooklyn Botanic Garden, please visit my blog on Saturday, and to see more fabulous "Outdoor Wednesday" blog links, please visit A Southern Daydreamer blog today!



Bookmark and Share

46 comments:

GardenOfDaisies said...

This is just gorgeous! I would love to visit.

Marie said...

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is absolutely gorgeous. Luv, luv the pond. You take great pictures!
-marie

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Absolutely gorgeous, Pat.... I'd love to visit those gardens... The 7th picture is my favorite... How beautiful!!! Thanks so much for showing us your wonderful city.
Hugs,
Betsy

dianasfaria.com said...

Wow! everything looks so lush. You are so right, we are having a wonderful Spring.
Thanks for the tour Pat.
: )

RNSANE said...

Pat, this is such a breathtakingly beautiful garden. I think I could spend hours there. It is amazing to have such a serene spot so close to all the hustle and bustle of the big city. I love Japan and our own Japanese Tea Garden is one of my favorite places in San Francisco.

Jenny said...

Pat, this is lovely beyond words. This post is like poetry. Lovely and lyrical. Thank you for sharing.

Unknown said...

This is beautiful Pat! I would love to visit there ...and Japan too. I just did a pot about my koi pond..well, it's completed but not posted the final ones..just the ones during constructions. Hubby and I had the 'Japanese' theme in mind when we built our mini pond to house all our old 7 kois. Sakuras never grow here but you can bet I will have a sakura tree next to my pond if it does. Happy week ahead Pat, hugs...M

My name is Riet said...

Oh my goodness Pat, how beautiful this is. You made it alive for us with all your pictures. I can believe you taking allthose pictures. Hopefully we get to see many more of them. Wonderful

Light and Voices said...

Lovely cyber tour of the Brooklyn Botanic Japanese Hill and Pond Garden. Looks like you had fun there!
Joyce M

Allie and Pattie said...

Just gorgeous! Isn't it wonderful to have such a place in Brooklyn?!
xoxo Pattie

joanna said...

How gorgeous --- I haven't been there in many years use to go there with my family when I was a child,, we lived near the Bronx Botanic Gardens--
Many people do not know about the Brooklyn Botanic Japanese Hill and Pond Garden -- they always think of New York as all tall buildings, but that is one of the most splendid gardens listed in the world.

Nice outdoor wed. glad I stopped by

Joanny
http://thedowsersdaughter.blogspot.com

diane b said...

It is a beautiful Japanese garden. The cherry blossoms are soooo pretty. I would love to see them.

People Who Know Me Would Say: said...

WOW! Mind-blowingly beautiful, Pat! And in the middle of a city like NY! Amazing!

Old Kitty said...

Oh Pat

What a stunning beautiful garden!! And what a wonderful history too. It's so good to know that this has been kept so lovely all these decades and allowed to grow and flourish!

It's absolutely stunning!

I love the turtles - were they there from the beginning? I'd really like to think so! You can't ask for a more perfect place to live in if you were a turtle or a fish!

And the cherry blossoms are amazing - they really herald spring and brighten up the landscape don't they?

I can't wait to see more of this fantastic garden.

Thank you so much for such vivid pics and for the very interesting info!

Take care
x

Kat said...

Just gorgeous Pat! I'm always amazed when I see these beautiful natural areas in the middle of New York. The cherry blossoms must be an amazing sight, especially after the winter y'all have had. Thanks for the tour. Kathy

Ebie said...

What a huge garden! Love those drooping flowers of the trees. We have a Japanese Garden just 5 miles where I live but is not as huge as yours!

Looking forward to your posts!

Jojo said...

What a beautiful respite in the city!

Ciao Chow Linda said...

Pat - The gardens are absolutely stunning in Spring. I haven't been there in decades but you make me want to come up there. Is this week the best time for cherry blossoms, or if I wait till May 1 are there still pretty pink blossoms on the trees?

Anonymous said...

Thank you Pat for sharing such a beautiful inspiring place. I love cherry blossom and the composition of the planting was so serene.

I have a soft spot for koi too.

Gracie said...

This is really beautiful! The only japanese garden I visited is in Ireland, at the National Irish Stud compund, so nice!

Allison Shops said...

What a beautiful Japanese garden! Birmingham has a very nice one too. Your pictures reminded me I need to go visit in the next week while the azaleas are blooming.

Thanks for stopping by AtticMag and leaving your nice comment. Off to see your cemetery statue photos - I always love looking at those.

Allison

Tracy said...

...*sigh*...I am in awe and wonderment... I would love to see this magical place! It is enchanting...simply breathtaking with so much in bloom! Heaven must look a little like this maybe? ;o) Thank for taking us there, Pat... Happy Day, my friend ((HUGS))

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

It's hard for me to imagine I am in Brooklyn when I see these photos! What a beautiful garden and wonderful place to visit. Your photos are always amazing. I looked for one of you....do you have one in a post? Have a lovely day! ♥

Vee said...

Beautiful garden and, as always, I am amazed by all that there is to see in NYC.

Regina said...

Such a beautiful place and captures'
Thank you for sharing Pat.

Mary Bergfeld said...

Once again you've given us a wonderful tour of a spot you love. Our first family outing in New York was to the Brooklyn Botantic Garden. That was a very long time ago. Your photos are terrific. I hope you are having a wonderful day. Blessings...Mary

annie said...

Just beautiful!

Glenda/MidSouth said...

Great photos - thanks for sharing them with us.

Kathleen said...

Beautiful, Pat! I have one little Japanese tree like that..10 yrs old and still not very big!
Thanks for another great tour!

Joyce said...

Gorgeous photos!
Joyce

Beverly said...

Oh, Pat. What a beautiful place, and your photos are stunning.

Have your ever visited Morikami Garden in Delray Beach, Florida? It is a beautiful place. Here is a link http://www.morikami.org/index.php?src=

Carole Burant said...

Omigosh, how absolutely breathtaking! I love walking through such gardens and this one would be no exception. I just love it when the Cherry trees are in bloom, they're so gorgeous. I could spend the whole day just sitting there and admiring these gardens!! We have the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington where my oldest son lives and I've been there once. Would love to go again:-) xoxo

steviewren said...

The gardens are lovely! The waterfall is really pretty. Great pictures. I know you enjoyed being outside in such pretty settings.

EG CameraGirl said...

What a gorgeous place to take your camera! Nice photos!

LV said...

Awesome place and pictures. That would truly be a very nice place to visit and relax. Great feature for today.

Nola said...

Wow, such blooms! At first I thought they were pink wisterias. The blooms are amazing and I love all the little architectural elements.

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

I feel like I've just gotten back from visiting Japan. The botanical gardens are gorgeous.
Sam

Maryrose said...

Hi
What a lovely walk through the Brooklyn Botanic Garden...it is absolutely gorgeous. I have to say that your photos are amazing, you have a great eye.
Maryrose

christina said...

these are just lovely. brooklyn is filled with gorgeousness. : )

Proud Italian Cook said...

Those trees are absolutely beautiful! Great photos Pat, what a welcome view after a long, long winter!

Willow said...

What a lovely and peaceful place! Thanks for sharing it with us.

Claire said...

How wonderful to have such a beautiful, tranquil sanctuary amid all the hustle bustle of New York.

As beautiful as the photos are I would love to see it in person,
Cherry blossom is divine.

My son is heading over to New York next month to work, I will have to tell him about the gardens so he can visit when he needs some 'chill out' time.

Terri Smith said...

Ahh Pat..I haven't popped over in a while and sure glad I did this a.m. Absolutely Stunning Photography! You represent your city with such grace and style! I simply want to relocate every time I see another glimpse of this beautiful place!

Sure hope you've been well. Springtime is in full gear here in Middle Georgia. I've spent as much time as I could outdoors preparing my garden and lawn, before the pollen set in.

I'm back at the easel now. Working on new compositions, new techniques, new designs. It's like the change of season has suddenly changed my art as well.

Closing for now. Just wanted to let you know I'm still around and that you still have a fan here in the Sunny State of Georgia.

Blessings, Joy and Thursday Sunshine, Terri

Claudia said...

A visit to Japanese gardens always puts my heart at rest. I remember those gardens well. We have two beautiful ones in the Cities. I always think to try and add something to my yard to make it more serene.

GailO said...

The Brooklyn Botanical gardens were within walking distance of my daughter's apartment when she lived there...so needless to say we went there on every single visit:)...I managed to be there during the Cherry Blossom festival, during the height of the roses, during the amazing bluebell season...I love every bit of those gardens:) The Japanese garden is one of my favorite spots....Can you tell that I am still wishing my daughter didn't move to Boston?

Daniela Moreno said...

HI !!! Pretty post !!

If you like the Japaneese culture and you want to know how to do a very special necklace
Look my creation " KOI FISH POND Necklace " :

http://alizarinaart.blogspot.it/2012/08/koi-fish-pond-una-collana-dedicata.html

Please let me know what do you think !